Namastè

I honor the place in youin which the entire universe dwells.I honor the place in youwhich is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace.I honor the place in you where,if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me,there is only one of us.

Namastè

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Sometimes I feel as if it is my karma to repeat learning this lesson over and over and over again (the hard way). The good news is, once I learn from my mistake, I discover new ways and exciting this lesson can be applied over and over and over again.

Kinda leaves some important food for thought. Or perhaps it would be best to simply put this into the practice rather than sit around ruminating about this...

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

2010 comes to a close, I'm sure we'll all be inundated with predictions for 2011 and highlights of 2010. Marketing is no different. And when it comes to marketing to Millennials, there are definitely winners and losers. So what are the key tools for marketing to Millennials in 2011? I've compiled a list of my top 10.

Connect with Millennials. It doesn't matter how you do it, but you'd better find a way. Whether it's your deodorant brand sponsoring a cheerleading competition or your Internet start-up sponsoring a conference, human connection is still vitally important.

Brand, brand, brand. I say this every day a thousand times: brands matter. We hear that Millennials are fickle, and they're not brand loyal. Yes, this is true. But brands still matter. Would a Millennial man rather rock no name sneakers or Converse? My bet is on Converse. I'd raise that bet even higher for the hybrid that is Converse for Target.

Impact their lives. It's not enough to connect with Millennials via a platform they love or to create strong brands. How are you impacting their lives? Brands like Pepsi understand this. Instead of funneling millions into a traditional advertising campaign, it used its money to create an impact in local communities.

Understand what Millennials want. This is so much easier than it seems. Don't allow your director of research to be the keeper of all secrets. Spend a day immersed with Millennials. Take some time to see how they live, and figure out where your product fits in their lives.

Engage with Millennials. Millennials love marketing, and they certainly love brands. Allow them to participate in this process with you. We live in a world of buzz. Millennials who love your product are your biggest fans. Figure out how to engage with them.

Create products Millennials want. It seems so simple, but people create stupid, useless stuff everyday. The recession has forever changed this generation. Now, they want value and luxury for the same dollar. They don't have money to waste on a product they don't love.

Utilize every platform available to you. Please listen carefully: print is not dead. TV is not dead. All forms of media are alive. Millennials are bombarded with hundreds of messages before they even reach their first class of the day. Why would you ever cut your chances of communicating with them? They are everywhere, and your messaging should be everywhere as well.

Realize that you don't have all of the answers. As marketers, we think we do. We have research, we have resources, we have cool products to market. But a big ego is just the ingredient needed for an epic, major fail. I experienced this personally in 2010 when I helped a client launch a brand for teen girls. Needless to say, it didn't go well. Why? Because I spent the majority of my time trying to explain to my client that we didn't, in fact, know more than they did about what they wanted out of this particular product.

Solve problems. The ideas that are really making big money solve problems. Want to look great but not spend $100 on a party dress? Go to Forever 21. Want the ultimate skinny jean that won't break the bank? Head to Uniqlo. The brands that are rocking it through the recession are winning for a reason. They're really well-branded problem-solvers.

Have fun. There have been so many studies and articles published about Millennials lately. With so much doom and gloom out there, we forget that Millennials just want to have fun and enjoy life. They are attracted to brands that permeate the same message. You may think you're selling the world's most boring product, but we all need boring products, too. I don't know the last time I thought Tide was uber-sexy, but my washer needs it. I love those commercials, and I love how I feel watching them. It's like a washing party I wasn't invited to. At the end of the day, treat your product like the most exclusive VIP party that every Millennial should crave an invite to. The VIP host might cost a bit extra, though.

COMMENTARY: Think mobile. Think Facebook. Think cool. Use sensory marketing. Millennial's love to have their five senses stimulated. Bombard them with outrageous sounds and special effects, powerful imagery, exciting video and film scenes, sleek products that are easy-to-use crammed with great features and textures, tantalizing flavors and aromas, the whole sensory sheebang.

Millennial's are not tuned into marketing messages or brand hype. This goes right over their heads like a speeding jet. They don't connect with that. The sensory stimulation IS the message. Pick a great brand tagline: "Just do It". A great tagline is the single-most powerful, condensed, compact expression of your brand that you can have. Millennials connect with your brand tagline. If you don't have one, get one.

YES, Brands should engage with Millennial's, but marketer's should keep this in mind: Millennial's do not engage with a non-persons a.k.a. your brand. They engage with people. There must be two-way engagement. Make the engagement a personable, almost in-your-face and fun experience. The FREE jeans mobile promotion hit the Millennial cherry spot.

Millennial's have some king size problems of their own, which marketer's need to understand. As far as Millennial's having fun, I don't doubt this, but they are also having problems getting jobs, and I really doubt that many of them like moving back in with mom and dad. They are very optimistic about the future. I find that hard to believe, but that's what researcher's say. Let me set you strait. Here's are all my blog posts that gives you the real lowdown on Millennials a.k.a. Twenty Somethings or Gen-Y's, take your pick.

Greetings

I am searching for my own voice, but I often find it expressed through the words of others. So I decided to share. "When life feels hard, keep on running. Run with your face to the wind, legs pushing dirt and arms pounding the breeze. Don't look back. Sometime soon you can lie on the pinnacle of the nearest mountain while the wind and earth and sky soak your being with the intoxicating knowledge that even when you thought you would never make it here, you refused to take the easy path and you never gave up." ~Christina Mauro

So Here's What's New

Growth is happening.....

I'm working on developing a healthier perspective so please; bear with me.

What I've learned:

Happiness is a choice.

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet." ~James Oppenheim

I just need to remember that "happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have" and stay present...

About Me

Finally graduated from college, so I thought I'd work on becoming an "expert" recent-grad.
Here's an online recollection of how that process works out. So far, it turns out I've become quite the little career counselor. lOl. = )

Blog Archive

My Personal DNA map

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Domestic Violence Is a Serious Issue

Don't Allow Abuse to Happen

Our future as a peaceful society depends on you. Help end the cycle of domestic violence by educating yourselves and your communities on peaceful methods of conflict resolution and child development strategies.

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HaNDz

Palm Readings...

I did an online palm reading online today because a cousin and I were talking about palmistry the other day and I wanted to try it out for fun to see if my results would come up with any sort of accuracy. I tried several sites; I didn't realize that it could be so time consuming. While I will warn everyone not to waste their time on the Tickle Website, there are some legitimate sites out there that you can get a FREE reading. My favorite site, although there seems to be some sort of problem with the reader today, but I would definitely check out periodically is @ http://www.astroguru.com/astro/palm.php . The other site that I used today, that I emailed my cousin about is @http://www.astroyogi.com/palmreading/result.asp .Here is what they had to say about my hand [and felt that all of the observations were pretty spot on].

Hi Monica, you have a vigorous hand. Dynamism, power, leadership and zest characterise your personality. Highly energised and enthusiastic, you hold out even during tough times. But remember not to overdo this. Your decision-making is swift and on-the-spot most of the times. Versatility is thy other name. You are also romantic, but with a generous dash of challenge thrown in. Your index finger is short. This makes you a dependable team player. A position of command is not for you. But you do have a keen eye for detail. You can be impulsive; not all your moves are quite rational. Look out! Stress could get the better of you. Your index finger being shorter than your ring finger tells us that you are a bit of a dreamer - a sensitive, idealistic dreamer. You mull a lot over minute, subtle detail. The bigger picture cannot be complete for you otherwise. But your personality can do a near-instant makeover to realism if faced with a situation of urgency. You are then a proactive, practical person to the core. Your middle finger being longer than the adjoining fingers in length signifies an even view towards life. You are extremely organised; seldom ever do you 'come apart' in any situation. You seem to have all stages of your life worked out to the last detail, and possess an unbiased and sagacious personality. You evaluate and analyse all your actions towards achieving your goals in life and get there through sheer dedication and will power. Your ring finger levels out halfway through the middle of your middle finger nail. This means you lead life in equilibrium. You are self-motivated and purposeful. Since your little finger is set lower than your other fingers, you encumber and impede your own life. The pursuit of goals seems unimportant to you and hence you make no effort to reach out. Your little finger reaches above the first flexure line (joint) of your ring finger. You have the gift of the gab and can talk endlessly - all you need is a listening partner. you have a vigorous hand. Dynamism, power, leadership and zest characterise your personality. Highly energised and enthusiastic, you hold out even during tough times. But remember not to overdo this. Your decision-making is swift and on-the-spot most of the times. Versatility is thy other name. You are also romantic, but with a generous dash of challenge thrown in. You have a long life and will live to up to about 70. You are a peaceful creature. All you want is tranquility; any sort of discord unsettles you completely. Your lifeline does not touch your line of head. You are an independent and non-conventional person. Don't let over confidence get the better of you. Your headline ends in a fork. You contemplate deeply before executing plans. This trait is usually inherent in lawyers and authors. Your headline is medium straight. You are a highly rational individual. You are thought oriented and never act before thinking it through. You are a solid person with fantastic reserves of energy. A doting parent and loyal friend, you are very protective towards those whom you love. Make sure you don't overdo this. The commitments you make are for keeps. Your fate line is aligned; your self esteem is firmly in place. You have the ability to be guided by your own insight. I'm curious to know whether or not there is some sort of bio-neuro connection to your personality and the shape and lines in your hand. Has anyone done this study. The scary accuracy and similarities between my personality tests and the reading results is kind of freaky. Also, from time to time I'll do a tarot reading on http://www.facade.com/ and even though I don't necessarily believe in that stuff, I find it fun to play with from time to time. The readings there for the most part on any given day are just specifically abstract to keep me interested and wondering if they have some method of tracking my surfing habits or something [because, "how would they otherwise know that]?If the concept of "eternal damnation", and "evil" as my mother would call it doesn't phase you [cause as you can see I don't believe in THAT stuff], feel free to check it some time. I promise it will have you scratching your head and saying, "hmmm." I wonder how this stuff works and if there's any reasonable or scientific explanation to why these things are so eerily evident. Perhaps it's more of a philosophical question instead of whether or not I perceive these things to be accurate is based upon my relative experience [like my thoughts and memories create correlations, rather than the readings being accurate themelves. What do you think?

Sites I Follow for Inspiration

Rong Radio Station by Benjamin Zephaniah

I initially saw another version of this same poem on this site called black cab confessions. I found Zephaniah's poetry to be as prophetic as it was inspiring and I look forward to hearing more of his work.

How Much Do You Spend On Groceries

CrashBox

"I wish that I could find more info or video clips about this show because its really pretty good. I think the show would be much more popular if i had greater accessibilty. I took this pic from the HBO family website."

Be Kind, Rewind

"I can't wait to see this movie... I'm not quite sure why I haven't seen it yet."

Other Great Movies [Honorable Mentions]

"Right now this is the only show [well besides the Bad Girls Club] that I consistently watch every week."

Krumping Video

I absolutely love krump dancing. I only wish that I were better at it. It's so raw and provocative. I feel more vibrant and energized just watching it.

Krumping Matrix Style

for whatever reason sometimes the videos seem to rotate. if you don't get the golf course video, you should be able scroll through the wirebreakers videos to be able to see the footage.